Disposable absorbent garments, such as children's diapers and training pants, commonly incorporate elastic adjacent the leg openings of the garment for a snug fit that minimizes leakage from the garment leg region. The application of elastic along the leg openings in such garments has been the subject of a great deal of activity in the past.
In particular, elastic positioned along the leg openings in a curved contour has been found desirable in minimizing leakage. However, existing machines have not proved entirely satisfactory in economically applying elastic in curved patterns to such garments.
An object of the present invention is to provide a machine that applies elastic in an improved, curved contour to garment material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine suitable for application of elastic at high working speeds.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus that economically applies such elastic.
A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus that applies individual bands of elastic with selected spacing between the bands throughout the curved contour.
In accordance with the present invention, a machine for applying elastic to garment material is provided that includes a conveyor for carrying garment material. The conveyor moves in one direction along a flow path. An elastic band storage with a plurality of elongate elastic bands is provided for application to the garment material. An elastic feeder has a feeder head that feeds the plurality of elastic bands directly onto the garment material carried by the conveyor while the feeder head moves laterally across the flow path. The lateral movement of the feeder head across the moving conveyor applies the elastic bands to the material in a curved contour. The feeder head is further operable to feed the elastic bands onto the material while maintaining a selected spacing between individual elastic bands throughout the curved contour.
Also in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for applying elastic to garment material that includes the steps of moving the material in one direction along a flow path, providing a source of a plurality of elongate elastic bands, guiding the elastic bands directly onto the material in a pattern moving laterally across said material relative to said one direction such that the elastic bands are applied to the material in a curved contour, and maintaining a selected side-to-side spacing between individual elastic bands throughout the curved contour.